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CASEL has identified five interrelated sets of cognitive, effective and behavioral competencies. The definitions of the five competency clusters for students are:

• Self-Awareness: The abilities to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts and values and how they influence  behavior across contexts. This includes capacities to recognize one’s strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose.

• Self-Management: The abilities to manage one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations. This includes the capacities to delay gratification, manage stress, and feel motivation and agency to accomplish personal/collective goals.

• Social Awareness: The abilities understand the perspective of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures,  and contexts.  This includes the capacities to feel compassion for others, understand broader historical and social norms for behavior in different settings, and recignize family, school, and community resources and supports.

• Relationship Skills: The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups. This includes the capacities to communicate clearly, listening actively, cooperate, work collaboratively to problem solve and negotiate conflict constructively, navigate settings with differing social and cultural demands and opportunities, provide leadership, ad seek or offer help when needed. 

• Responsible Decision-Making: The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations. This includes the capacities to consider ethical standards and  safety concerns, and to evaluate  the benefits and consequences of various actions for personal, social, and collective well-being.